


Cry Your Heart Out

by Nouna



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Cute Interlude, Hearts Au, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-13 18:34:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29530635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nouna/pseuds/Nouna
Summary: In a world where Gavin Reed can sense peoples hearts, he takes notice of RK900's. A special one, since RK900 is not a deviant android.
Relationships: Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Comments: 17
Kudos: 86





	Cry Your Heart Out

**Author's Note:**

> A short little flick in response to @therainnight ‘s totally awesome and endlessly cute Hearts AU. Check it out for yourself and then off you go! We all could need some more new content!! :D

It wasn’t exactly unusual for them to only speak one or two words. Some Gavin encountered in his life were even completely silent. That was the sad part, mostly. To find the one of a child, hidden in a tiny space, huddled together and completely mute.

But not only children’s could be sad.

Lieutenant Hank Anderson’s usually cried. Or complained endlessly about how bored it was. It’s mood shifted often drastically through the day. But now… sometimes it smiled, while it rested close to Connor’s shriveled little gremlin of a-…

Whatever they truly were, anyway.

Connor’s was as well silent most of the time. If it wasn’t a violent little twat, kicking and scratching if Gavin came too close. Like a nasty alley cat. Kind of funny, since he insisted so much on being a dog person.

Tina’s didn’t talk much as well. Sleepily it dosed at her desk or on the top of her hat and was always a good indicator for a necessary break. It also was delighted by the smell of coffee.

His partner’s, though?

It was a little… different.

\- Nines only ever spoke his name.

“Gavin!”, the little shit squealed and pulled at his collar since it was, any time it could get close enough, taking a free ride on Gavin’s shoulder. “Gavin!!”

Gavin groaned. “Did you find something?!” He asked and followed RK900 and the already dry blood trail into the next room.

RK900 placed himself at the window and looked outside, his face blank as ever. “No”, he said. “As we already predicted, our endeavour was very much pointless. The CSI did not miss anything.”

If he said it, it had to be so, Gavin thought with a frown. Still, the fragile little heart on his shoulders fought for his attention. He took a glance at the little monster, which showed a toothy smile before it huddled closer and nestled against his cheek. Gavin wrinkled his nose.

RK900 still stood at the window in parade rest position. Something was there he clearly wanted Gavin to see.

Gavin stepped forward, nudged into his partner’s side and pushed to make a bit more room for him. The window showed the western sky. The sun was coming down. “Something interesting?”, Gavin asked.

RK900 did not move. “In a way”, he said. “The colorspectrum at this time of day is quite… intense.”

Gavin hummed. “Pretty, you mean?”

RK900 scoffed. “I am not able to understand the human concept of beauty, but I appreciate the data density. It’s a shame I cannot show you. Your eyesight is mediocre at best.”

Gavin rolled his eyes. “Your mom is mediocre.”

“Actually, my mom is the most efficient AI cyberlife ever designed. She is still in use today to direct the flow of automated traffic and maintain the data exchange between US administrative bodies.”

RK900 then lifted a brow in an elegant arch as he turned. The fragile little thing on Gavin’s shoulder laughed - a heartpiercing sound as clear as a bell.

Gavin grinned wide. “You are such a damn braggart.”

“That, I can’t quite deny when I have to talk about my many superior qualities.”

And now he had to laugh. “You are so full of shit!”

RK900 blinked slowly like a content cat, but didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to, anyway. His heart on Gavin’s shoulder warmed his cheek through its warm and happy glow.

* * *

Gavin never met a non-deviant android who carried one of those tiny gremlins around with them.

Aside from RK900, of course.

He always insisted on not feeling human emotions. Gavin tended to believe him since he had never met a more efficient stone cold bastard, who could snap bones at his fingertips and hunt a fugitive down even faster than a K9 unit. But at the station RK900 was always completely docile and almost blended seamlessly with his surroundings when he felt his service was not needed.

Still, his little gremlin cried for Gavin’s attention.

“Gavin!!” Gavin breathed a soundless sigh and gave little Nines on his table a gentle shove with the tip of his index finger. It squeaked like a happy toddler before it threw itself forward and hugged him.

It was always so desperate for Gavin’s attention.

Slowly Gavin tilted his head out of the crook of his right arm and looked up at his partner. RK900 sat still as a statue at his desk, right opposite of him. His stare was blank even though not less sharp. Gavin didn’t really mind when he stared at him. It was just something RK900 did.

“Don’t judge me”, Gavin muttered before he could not longer hold his yawn. His gaze fell back down on the happy little monster clinging to his index finger.

RK900 did not move. “But it’s so hard not to, Detective.”

It was weird.

Grumbling under his breath, Gavin wrinkled his nose. “You are such a bastard, no machine could truly be designed that way. Whole industries died because of antisocial bots who only irritated the costumer base…”

His partner slowly tilted his head. “Interesting. What is your point, Detective?”

“I-…”, Gavin interrupted himself before he could bark out something very stupid. 'I know you are feeling something!' was just not an option to say, even though the proof currently played snatch with his fingers. Gavin’s head crashed once more down onto the table.

“You sure you aren’t a deviant?”, he mumbled into the crook of his arm. “Gavin!!”, the little heart squealed and tried to hug his cheek even stronger than it did his fingertips.

“I self-test regularly, Detective”, RK900 said, self assured. “I know what I am and what I am not.”

Gavin hummed and gently scratched Nines' tiny head while the little gremlin giggled against his face.

Sure he did.

* * *

At home Gavin sat at the kitchen table and gnawed listlessly through his fastfood dinner. He didn’t feel so well. Too many thoughts.

RK900 was… it was just 'odd'.

He seemed so clearly focused on Gavin and at the same time not at all.

Was it simply because he was an android…? Any undeviated android had no other driving force but their algorithms and given objectives. If Gavin was installed as RK900′s partner, he was basically his entire world.

Was that the reason for-… Gavin shook his head. No, that couldn’t be it.

Connor didn’t show this kind of obsession. Not even with Anderson. But Connor was a deviant, wasn't he...?

Gavin groaned as he stood and let himself fall face first into his couch. What was it his business if RK900′s unending search for his attention was just an obligation or a requirement in his code. It would not mean anything either wa-…

A sudden noise from bedroom made Gavin jump.

His head shot up instantly as Gavin stared frozen at the open door. Then he heard it. Another low thud. Gavin swallowed. Slowly he lifted himself from the couch, gently treading on naked feet across the floor.

He felt cold sweat prickle along the back of his neck as he went over the threshold. The noise inside the room was as rythmic as Gavin's own thundering heartbeat.

The drawer of his bedside table rattled.

“Nines…?!”

Gavin’s knees felt weak as he immediately stumbled over and sat down at the edge of his bed. Once more, the drawer rattled.

“Nines…!”

Gavin took a deep, calming breath before he finally reached out and pulled it open. His own heart, wan and sickly, stared right back at him. It squinted against the light, even though it was just that of the streetlamps in front of their window. Then it scrunched up its tiny nose - and it cried. “Nines…!”

Gavin felt how heavy it was, this scalding sensation in his hollow chest.

As carefully as his jittering hands allowed him, Gavin reached out and coaxed the little monster out of its self-chosen box of isolation.

“I know…”, he muttered again and again as he gently squeezed it to his chest. “I know, buddy. It’s alright.”

But it was not. It truly wasn’t in the slightest.

Gavin choked and had to clear his throat, while a thick layer of blood-hot tears blurred his vision. The little monster in his hands squirmed and cried until its seldomly used voice sounded clearly hoarse.

As wistful as one can be.

“Nines!”

* * *

It was ridiculous.

Gavin had never before done something so reckless. He could not understand how other people did it so carelessly - but then, he thought, they weren’t ever truly aware, were they?

They often literally carried their hearts at their sleeve and didn’t think anything about it. The same way RK900 did.

But RK900 was not really one who could be called fragile, usually.

In comparison to everyone else, Gavin was at all times hyper aware of the precious cargo he carried around all day. He just couldn’t not be. Now, it was distracting and made him obviously jumpy.

RK900 clearly noticed, but seemed to interpret it as just another bad-day-symptom. Just a flare of anxiety humans had to fight sometimes for no rational reason.

At least in that he was completely right.

Nothing of the things Gavin wanted to do today could be called rational.

“This one’s yours”, Gavin said and sat heavily down at the table behind the one way mirror. “Let’s see what your many superior qualities get out of that prick.”

RK900′s tiny heart stood at his left elbow and stared up at him out of wide and shimmering eyes. Its expression morphed soon enough into a wide and toothy grin.

“Sure, Detective”, RK900 answered with a nod. He then left the room in confident strides and as soon as he was gone, Gavin did not care a damn anymore for this pointless interrogation.

Mr. Daniel’s tiny gremlin sat between his cuffed hands and ever since his arrest sang a never ending song of 'stab stab stabedy stab-stab-stab'. These little demons were seldomly this kind of bold.

Anyway, Gavin turned to Nines and watched it blink wide eyed up at him. "Gavin…!”, it squealed like every time he took notice of it and buried its fingers into the sleeve of Gavins shirt. Gavin nodded a greeting. “Hey.”

The heart shrieked and jumped in triumph as it finally caught Gavin’s full attention. Gavin smiled. “You are very friendly. For belonging to an emotionless robot, I mean”, he murmured and nudged the little guy’s chest.

Nines didn’t hesitate to once more hug Gavin’s index finger. Nines was so warm and welcoming. But only to him. It didn’t even take notice of the others. It didn’t care for any of the others to such extend.

Gavin reached into his trouser pocket and then placed his cigarette box on the table. The expensive one his brother bought him for his thirtieth birthday. “I-… I think I’ve got something for you”, he murmured under his breath. “Just to see. Behave, alright?”

RK900′s heart looked up at him as if he hung the moon before it curiously turned and went for the box. Gavin helped it to pry up the lid and then sat back to simply wait and watch.

RK900′s heart looked up at him as if asking for permission. Gavin nodded and the little guy ducked into the cigarette box. “Gavin…?” It crawled into the limited space and nothing remarkable happened at all.

Except, Gavin felt the moment Nines touched him.

He breathed out a shuddering sigh at the blooming warmth inside his chest. On the other side of the mirror RK900 froze before he slowly rightened his posture. With a frown he lifted his hand and his fingertips touched along the outline of the glowing circle underneath his black dress shirt.

Gavin watched him hesitate, open his mouth and closing it, before he stood and left Mr. Stabedy alone at the table. Shortly after that the door opened and RK900 took his usual place right behind Gavin. “He did it, but he wasn’t alone. We have to go back before the other one tempers with the evidence at their hiding place.”

Gavin nodded even though he barely processed what RK900 even said. “Yeah, sure, just - uh - give me a moment, alright? Have to take a leak.”

If RK900 thought the way of how Gavin carried the cigarette box seemed peculiar, he didn’t say so.

In the bathroom, Gavin stood in front of a fogging mirror while he completely lost control over his erratic breathing pattern. Swallowing his cold sweat inducing panic, he held up the box and lifted the lid, just a little.

Nines’s arms were tightly wrapped around Gavin who was huddled to his chest; their foreheads gently touching.

This was so 'ridiculous'.

* * *

At least Gavin thought so before he got stabbed.

Getting stabbed was the best starting point for dramatic speeches and grant declarations of love, they said. At least in television that was probably true.

In reality the pain was crippling, the blood was a stinking mess and a suddenly empty bladder the most humiliating thing in the whole fucked up universe.

Gavin groaned while he pressed the heel of his palm down against his stomach, around the hilt of the blade that was still burrowed deep inside his guts.

He should have left the box with the two little gremlins in the car. But he could not take the risk of them getting stolen. He had used the box because it was sturdy and safe, but it was also his most expensive family trinket. He had unknowingly trapped himself.

And while he carried the box around he couldn’t focus like he usually did.

RK900 had shouted for him, so Gavin had turned at the same time as Nines screamed his name. He didn’t even realize what had happened until Mr. Daniel’s brother rammed the god damn knife into his stomach.

Now he lay on his back, struggling like a beatle to get back on his feet or roll over or to do anything else to make it stop hurting.

Rasping he turned onto his side and closed both of his hands around the hilt. “Gavin!!!” Terrified Nines held onto his left index finger while Gavins stuttering heart sat weak and drained down at his tiny feet.

At least they both reminded him that blindly pulling the weapon out was not an option. He would bleed out in a minute.

Gavin forced himself to take slow but rasping breaths of air while he focused on Nines. But his attention slipped a little bit more with every gone by second.

His own heart still cowered at Nines’s feet, its face buried between its pulled up knees, slowly rocking back and forth like it always had done.

Nines didn’t know where to look or who to touch, undecided to whom to reach out for. Gavin lifted its head and silently snivled into the crook of its arm.

Their gaze met and, astoundingly, Gavin felt his stomach drop even further.

“Will you stay? If I go...?”, he mumbled and his bloody fingertip gently nudged his heart closer to Nines. “Will you stay with him…?”

“Gavin…!”, cried Nines and Gavin felt the terrifying cold of numbness creep up his spine. Like he was draining of all his warmth as well as his blood.

“Will you…?”, Gavin whispered and watched as his heart reached out and held tightly onto Nines’s hand. Everything would be alright like this, he thought. Nines was not fragile, but maybe a little aimless. Gavin would hold onto him. Maybe help RK900 find a better purpose.

'He' was not necessarily needed.

Gavin might be tired, but he could be certain that the world would not stop turning without him. RK900 would be alright. Gavin breathed a sigh that emptied his hurting lungs as he slowly closed his eyes.

He needed to rest.

Just a little.

* * *

He woke up again, which came somewhat as a surprise.

A dozen tubes came out of his stomach though and one hell of a lot medical equipment surrounded his bed. Also the stuff that recorded his heartbeat in rythmical beeps.

Gavin's eyelids felt heavy as lead. He really needed a break for today.

A rustling sound from his left announced RK900’s sudden appearence at the edge of his bed. “Detective?”

Gavin groaned - as it seemed, his standard reaction to any request of the day. “What are you doing here…?”

At hospitals Gavin usually woke up alone. He preferred it that way. But RK900… he wouldn’t judge him, Gavin guessed…?

His weakness, he meant.

“I decided to make sure your treatment would be successful”, RK900 answered lowly, his face as blank as ever.

Gavin would have laughed if it didn’t hurt so badly. “What…? You the one with his hands down my guts?”

“Actually yes, Detective. You are lucky I am able to perform three hundred and thirty five types of emergency surgery. You wouldn’t have made it to the hospital, otherwise.”

That was… interesting.

Gavin looked around as far as he was able to. Finally, he spotted Nines in the front pocket of RK900’s uniform jacket. There it held Gavins heart in its arms as they rested together. Silent and clearly exhausted, both.

Gavin woozily blinked. “So you saved my life? Thanks, I guess. What did I do to deserve that much effort…?”

RK900 did not appreciate Gavin's humor, though. Instead, he leaned closer above him - and maybe Gavin’s head would be swimming if he weren’t clearly already high on morphine.

“I know, you expect me not to care since I am not human, Detective”, he said, no change to his voice at all. “You would be right in that human emotions are clearly not my area of expertise. They won’t ever be. That does not mean I perceive your presence as fungible.”

He spoke a little bit too fast for Gavin's foggy brain. “What does that even mean…?”, he whined, tired and therefore irritated.

RK900 breathed a scalding hot sigh across Gavin's cheeks before he leaned down even closer. Their foreheads touched in the most intimate gesture Gavin ever experienced.

Still, his heart was beating calm. And feeling warm. And very big.

“I am not human, Detective - and I won’t ever be”, RK900 murmured as their noses gently brushed along each other. “There won’t ever be emotions comparable to the chemical processes inside your fragile brain. No irrational whims - only 'decisions'. But it is now clear to me that it does not matter, since, if I had a heart, it also would be yours.”

Maybe Gavin should have known.

Ultimately, he could see it clearer than anyone else, couldn’t he?

When RK900 kissed him he did it as an android. Maybe not a deviant one, maybe still following his directive.

But did it even matter as long as he was happy…?

A heart for a heart, Gavin thought and placed his hand gently over the pocket of RK900’s uniform jacket.

It was only fair.

**Author's Note:**

> Want to make me happy? Leave me a little present down below :D


End file.
